CytoDyn Forms Scientific Advisory Board to Advance PRO 140 Development in Immunological Disorders
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NEW ADVISORS INCLUDE LEADERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, ONCOLOGY AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT
VANCOUVER, Washington, March 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB:CYDY) announces the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board to advise on the development of PRO 140 in certain immunologic disorders. PRO 140 is a humanized monoclonal antibody under development by CytoDyn that targets the CCR5 receptor, a molecule that modulates the immune cell trafficking crucial for the development of certain inflammatory conditions.
“It is a privilege to assemble this group of prominent authorities in immunology, oncology and drug development to advise on the development of PRO 140 in immunologic disorders,” said Denis R. Burger, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of CytoDyn. “PRO 140 has potential applications in cancer progression, transplantation rejection, autoimmunity, and chronic inflammation. Based on the strength of preclinical and clinical study data combined with human safety and efficacy data from our HIV program, we believe PRO 140 warrants further development across a range of immunological indications.”
Members of CytoDyn’s Scientific Advisory Board are as follows:
David Hinrichs, Ph.D., is a research scientist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Portland, Oregon and Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He received a B.S. in Biology from Mankato State and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Arizona.
Patrick Iversen, Ph.D., is adjunct professor at Oregon State University and scientific founder and Chief Science Officer of LS Pharma, LLC., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel RNA-based therapeutics. Dr. Iversen earned a B.S. degree from Westminster College and Ph.D. in Biochemical Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Daniel Lindner, MD, Ph.D., is Director of Animal Tumor Core of the Taussig Cancer Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. He received a BS in biology from MIT, medical degree from Georgetown University, Ph.D. in microbiology from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Richard Pestell, MD, Ph.D., MB.BS, FRACP, FACP, FAAAS, MBA, FRS of Medicine, is President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Research Center and Distinguished Professor at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. He received a medical degree from the University of Western Australia, Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne and conducted postdoctoral research at the Harvard School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his executive MBA from New York University Stern School of Business.
David L. Porter, MD, is the Jodi Fisher Horowitz Professor of Leukemia Care Excellence and Director of Cell Therapy and Transplantation at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his medical degree from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Jonah Sacha, Ph.D., is associate professor at OHSU and has appointments in the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center. He received his Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology & Immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and B.S. in Biology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
About PRO 140
PRO 140 belongs to a new class of HIV/AIDS therapeutics – viral-entry inhibitors – that is intended to protect healthy cells from viral infection. PRO 140 is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody directed against CCR5, a molecular portal that HIV uses to enter T cells. PRO 140 blocks the predominant HIV (R5) subtype entry into T cells by masking this required co-receptor, CCR5. Importantly, PRO 140 does not appear to interfere with the normal function of CCR5 in mediating immune responses. PRO 140 does not have agonist activity toward CCR5 but does have antagonist activity to CCL5, which is a central mediator in inflammatory diseases. PRO 140 has been the subject of eight clinical trials, each demonstrating efficacy by significantly reducing or controlling HIV viral load in human test subjects. PRO 140 has been designated a “fast track” product by the FDA. The FDA also granted orphan drug designation to PRO 140 for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). The PRO 140 antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use.
About CytoDyn
CytoDyn is a biotechnology company focused on the clinical development and potential commercialization of humanized monoclonal antibodies for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. The Company has one of the leading monoclonal antibodies under development for HIV infection, PRO 140, which has completed Phase 2 clinical trials with demonstrated antiviral activity in humans and is currently in Phase 3 development. PRO 140 blocks the HIV co-receptor CCR5 on T cells, which prevents viral entry. Clinical trial results thus far indicate that PRO 140 does not negatively affect the normal immune functions that are mediated by CCR5. Results from eight Phase 1 and Phase 2 human clinical trials have shown that PRO 140 can significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV. A recent Phase 2b clinical trial demonstrated that PRO 140 can prevent viral escape in patients during several months of interruption from conventional drug therapy. CytoDyn intends to continue to develop PRO 140 as a therapeutic anti-viral agent in persons infected with HIV and to pursue non-HIV, inflammatory indications where CCR5 and its ligand CCL5 may be involved.
